ONE in five British men over-estimates his mechanical knowledge and cannot perform the most basic of car checks, according to new research from Vauxhall Motors.

While 94 per cent of men talk the talk and say they are confident about their ability to perform simple car checks, when they are actually put to the test, men fail to perform.

Asked to locate the dipstick in a car engine, 20 per cent of men got it wrong. One in 10 men mistakenly chose the radiator cap, and one in every 40 men is convinced that the car battery is the engine oil dipstick.

Vauxhall decided to investigate the issue after research revealed that nearly half of the female population (46 per cent) still rely on the men in their lives for simple car maintenance advice because they lack confidence in their own abilities to carry out basic car checks.

Furthermore, 87 per cent of women assume that men know more about car maintenance than them. However, the research suggests that women should re-think asking their dads, partners and brothers for car maintenance advice. Despite 73 per cent of men saying they are 'very confident' that they can perform basic car maintenance checks such as checking tyre pressure, checking oil and changing windscreen wiper water, men admit they bluff their car maintenance abilities when it comes to the crunch.

A quarter of men (25 per cent) admit to regularly bluffing about their ability under the bonnet suggesting that they are more car bluffers than car buffs.

In fact, women are perhaps more likely to be have sound car maintenance knowledge than men. Over a third of men say they simply "pick bits up" from car programmes or from their mates down the pub. In contrast, one in twenty women has actually taken a basic car maintenance course.

Commenting on the findings, which surveyed more than 1,000 people, psychologist Professor Geoff Beattie says: "For a majority of men, car confidence appears to be an almost in-built characteristic by virtue of their gender alone.

"It's interesting that when put to the test, men are not as savvy as they would have us believe and that in fact, as many as a quarter of men openly confess to bluffing their car knowledge. Women should rethink relying on the men in their life and have more confidence in their own ability to get it right under the bonnet."

To help drivers who don't have the time, patience or brainpower to learn about car maintenance, Vauxhall Motors is launching a 10 minute car clinic scheme at selected dealerships.